


Reunions

by Kattiental



Series: Afterlife!Verse [1]
Category: The Unwanteds Series - Lisa McMann
Genre: Alex Stowe has PTSD, Alex Stowe is very sad, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Marcus Today doesn’t wear a robe, Marcus Today has long hair, Meghan Ranger is a good friend, Soul Bond, Spoilers for Dragon Bones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24646693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kattiental/pseuds/Kattiental
Summary: Alex Stowe reunites with some old friends after his demise at the hands of Eagala.
Relationships: Marcus Today & Alex Stowe, Meghan Ranger & Alex Stowe
Series: Afterlife!Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1781995
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	Reunions

Alexander Stowe had prepared for many things in his nearly twenty-eight years of existence, but this had definitely not been one of them. Knowing his luck, he didn’t understand why he wasn’t surprised at this outcome. Pain, loss, anger, and even death hadn’t exactly been strangers to the young mage. He’d known objectively that in the future, he would die, though this wasn’t the way that he’d wanted it to happen.

He’d wanted to find and save his sister, go back home to his peaceful island, and take a nice long rest in his bed while knowing his family was safe. 

He hadn’t wanted to die by the hands of the woman who’d taken everything from him. 

The pain had been intense. A piercing burn so strong that the world around him had faded by the time his body was flung straight into a wall. The aim of Eagala’s spear had been true, and fatal. There was no chance of him being able to fight the darkness that had swarmed his eyes. No chance at all. 

Alex didn’t even have the time to think of a final thought. 

Then, he’d opened his eyes to cold, grey-ground. He wasn’t wearing his multicolored robe, and his long, brown curls trailed chaotically down his shoulders. He was lying on his back, and immediately realized that something was wrong. A dull ache permeated through his chest and a strange feeling of numbness had crept over the right side of his body. 

Alex started to cry. 

And then, a gentle breeze blew straight into his face. He turned around to see a large space where a gate should have been, but wasn’t. He saw a large lawn filled with hundreds of people laughing and having fun together. Behind them, an enormous, but familiar, mansion loomed. Seagulls circled around a sandy beach where even more people could be seen. 

Alex stumbled to his knees, and then wobbled warily to his home. 

When he reached the entrance of Artimé, the numbness in the right side of his body seemed to grow stronger. He wondered the cause of it, but soon came to a conclusion. 

The numbness was a product of being severed from the other half of his soul.

The tears that streamed down his face splashed onto the lawn below in large puddles. He realized that this numbness would never go away. One day, he’d probably see Fifer, Thisbe, Lani, Samheed, Kaylee, and even Sky again. 

But he wouldn’t see Aaron. He would never see his twin again, because Aaron wouldn’t ever die. Aaron was immortal, but Alex was not. 

By the time Alex stumbled into the heart of Artimé, he’d attracted quite a large crowd. Faces, some familiar and some not, stared at him from all corners of the lawn. Whispers of his name could be heard from all directions. In the simplest terms, he was now completely surrounded.

He definitely resembled more of a bedraggled toddler than a head mage, but that didn’t stop him from trying to hold his ground against the tide of humans. Still, a pang of nervousness made him run a hand through his curls. 

A hand.

His left hand.

He blinked in surprise before quickly drawing the hand away from his head and making it into a fist. He wiggled each finger and moved the whole arm up and down before he simply started laughing.

In the past ten years of his life, Alex had hardly laughed. Instead, he’d been faced with chronic nightmares of the final battle with Eagala and the pirates. He’d replay the moment where her sword pressed against his lips and drew blood, he’d see her stab his own sword deep into his shoulder, he’d see her smiling menacingly at him. 

Sometimes, he’d wake up screaming. Sometimes, Sky has been there to help him fall back asleep. Sometimes, Sky had been able to make him laugh.

“Alex?” 

Alex blinked back into reality by the sound of an achingly familiar voice. A young woman stood directly in front of him. He was faced with bright green eyes, a sun-tanned face that was full of freckles, and bushy red hair tied back with a red ribbon. She appeared the same way he remembered her at fifteen years of age, but seemed older somehow.

“Meg,” Alexander Stowe barely managed to choke out.

For a second, the two friends just stared at each other, but then they both both flew into an embrace. Meghan let out a cry of laughter as Alex put both arms around her and once again started sobbing. For a few minutes, the crucial details didn’t matter.

Even as Meghan pulled back from the hug, she still kept her hands on Alex’s shoulders. Her green eyes flashed with conflicting emotions as she hesitated with what she wanted to say before opening her mouth with a weak smile. 

“I really really missed you, Alexander Stowe,” she finally said.

“I missed you too, Meg. I missed you so much,” Alex said, still sobbing. The crowd around them parted, not wanting to interrupt the reunion of the two friends. Alex felt a small bit of relief when they scattered. He didn’t really want to be in the spotlight right now. 

“A bit overwhelming I suppose, huh?” Meghan asked with a laugh. Alex attempted a weak smile, but it fell flat. He could still feel eyes on them. He wiped his tears on his sleeve. 

“Just a small bit, um, how are you?” Alex wondered if it was an appropriate question to ask. Were any of these people really doing well? Surely, they must miss being alive. He missed being alive, and he still couldn’t even believe that he was dead.

“I’m alright, Alex. Though, I am a bit irritated that you managed to end up here already,” Meghan said. Her tone seemed light, but Alex could tell that she was really sad. 

Alex didn’t know how to reply, so he just messed with his hands. The happiness now seemed overshadowed by the awkwardness. Before he could think of something to say, he started hearing murmurs from around him once more. He turned around to see that the crowd had started forming again, but not around him. Instead, they were gathering near the entrance of the mansion. 

Alex squinted and turned away from Meghan to see what the fuss was about. The crowd was parting again, leaving behind what looked like a human figure. Behind Alex, Meghan slipped her hand into his. Alex watched as the mysterious person approached him and Meghan. As the figure grew closer, Alex’s breath caught in his throat.

The man was tall, and definitely on the thinner side. He had long white hair, which spilled past his shoulders, but also seemed wild and untamed near the top of his head. He held himself almost regally, but wore clothes that seemed oddly plain. 

His eyes were a piercing black. 

Alex couldn’t breathe.

After the final battle with Eagala and the pirates, Alex had finally gotten some time to go through some of the belongings bequeathed to him by Marcus Today. While doing so, he had stumbled across a few dusty portraits.

One of the faces he’d seen in the portraits was now standing directly in front of him. 

“I suppose I look a bit strange to you, but I also think you know who I am, Alex,” said the man. 

Alex paused, trying to think of a response. He felt like the world was spinning, and sweat beaded at his temple. Meghan’s hand gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“I know who you are. I just. I just don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. I messed up. I’m sorry,” Alex cried out, the tears once again falling. He pulled out of Meghan’s grip and fell to his knees. This was all too much. 

Only a few seconds later, he felt arms pull him into a warm hug. 

“Alex, isn’t your fault. If anything, it’s mine. You haven’t messed up, I promise,” said Marcus Today. 

Quite frankly, Alex was unable to respond to the comforting words. Old emotions that had been bottled up for over a decade were pouring out in massive bursts. He felt bitter, abandoned, and absolutely overjoyed all at the same time. 

But for the moment, Alex let himself take solace in the hug. All those feelings could be addressed later. 

For the first time in a long time, Alex genuinely smiled. Maybe, this wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe, he could get though this. 

He had friends here.

**Author's Note:**

> First part of afterlife!verse, I hope everyone enjoyed 💕


End file.
